The invention relates to conveyors in general, and more particularly to improvements in belt conveyors. Still more particularly, the invention relates to improvements in belt conveyors of the type wherein the belt carries information and/or decorative matter which can be observed while the belt is in motion, e.g., to transport merchandise at a checkout counter in a supermarket or the like or to transport baggage at an airport terminal.
Conveyors of the type to which the present invention pertains are disclosed, for example, in German Utility Model No. 18 28 372. The belt of the conveyor which is disclosed in the Utility Model carries one or more separately produced indicia which are welded to the exposed surface of the belt but do not extend through the respective layer or through the single layer of the belt. Such mode of affixing separately produced indicia to the belt results in at least some blurring of the outline of each applied indicium. This affects the effectiveness of the indicia as an advertising slogan, a trademark or an item of information to those observing the moving belt. Moreover, and since the affixed indicium or indicia do not extend all the way through the belt, they are likely to wear away before the belt itself is ready to be discarded, i.e., the last stage of utilization takes place while the belt is still operative but the information or message which was to be conveyed by the applied indicium or indicia is no longer existent or is no longer discernible. The situation is further aggravated if the indicium or indicia are simply applied over one side of a belt, i.e., if they are not even partially recessed into the belt.